


Say That To My Face!

by ladymac111



Series: Miss Holmes [2]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Bullying, Gen, Homophobia, M/M, Parentlock, Sherlock is a pretty good dad actually
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-26
Updated: 2012-11-26
Packaged: 2017-11-19 14:38:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/574340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladymac111/pseuds/ladymac111
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alexa gets in a spot of trouble at school when she's the victim of bullying.</p><p>Strong language.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Say That To My Face!

**Author's Note:**

> I had to pick a school for Alexa to go to, so I did some slapdash Googling and picked St Mary Magdalene Academy in Islington. Victoria Linsley is a real person (Vice Principal at SMMA) but she is used here purely fictitiously.

Sherlock's mobile rang three times before he sighed.  "John!"

There was silence before it rang again, and Sherlock reluctantly pulled his attention away from the spores under his microscope as he realized that John was at work and he was home alone, and therefore the only one who could answer the phone.  It was in the middle of the next ring when he finally found it wedged between the couch cushions, and he answered quickly before it could roll over to voicemail, without checking to see if he recognized the number.  "Sherlock Holmes."

"Yes, hello Mr Holmes, this is Miss Linsley from St Mary Magdalene."

He tucked the phone between his ear and his shoulder and rolled his eyes as he went back into the kitchen.  "How can I help you?"

"It's about Alexa, Mr Holmes.  She was involved in an altercation today and we'd like you to come in."

Sherlock nearly dropped the phone in surprise, spores completely forgotten.  "She _what_?"

"If you'd please come in, that would be best.  The parents of the other two girls who were involved will be here shortly, and I was hoping to have a meeting with all of you.  Can you come?"

"Yes, I'll be there as soon as I can."

There was a muffled conversation on the other side, and then Miss Linsley spoke again.  "Alexa says to ask how soon 'as soon as you can' is."

Sherlock huffed a little laugh.  "As soon as I get off the phone, I'll put on my coat and get a cab."

"Very good.  We'll see you soon."

Alexa's text alert jingled as he was heading down the steps -- _Please don't tell Papa. A_

_Why not? S_

_Don't want to bother him at work. A  
_

_Don't lie to me, it's insulting. S  
_

_Just please don't tell him, OK? A  
_

_I won't if you promise to tell me everything. S  
_

_Deal. A  
_

* * *

Sherlock ignored the other girls and their parents when he was led into the office, and focused exclusively on Alexa.  The left side of her face was swollen and there was a bandage beside her eye, and a few drops of blood on her shirt.  "Are you all right?" he demanded, going to her side and ghosting his fingers over her injuries.  "How badly are you hurt?"

She batted his hand away.  "It's nothing, I'm fine.  Just sit down so we can get started."

He took the seat beside her and shrugged out of his coat before looking around at the other people in the room.  Marie and her mother were there, and gave him a nod of acknowledgement.  The other two girls were scowling and had the beginnings of bruises like Alexa's, and the mother of one (obviously a housewife, whose husband was probably in finance) refused to meet his gaze.

"Thank you all for coming," Miss Linsley said.  "Joanna, I've filled your parents in on the situation so far, though they couldn't be here."

"What is the situation?" Marie's mother asked, clearly frustrated.

"There's been a fight, obviously," Sherlock said, and Alexa nudged him with her knee.  "Not now, Dad."

He looked at her in surprise, but didn't continue.

Miss Linsley leaned forward on her elbows.  "There was a fight, Joanna and Elaine against Alexa.  Two teachers intervened to break it up, though Marie seemed to have been trying to get in the middle without success."

"She started it," Elaine said, glaring at Alexa, who narrowed her eyes coldly.

"That's one version, yes," Miss Linsley said.  "Everyone agrees that Alexa threw the first punch, and it went from there.  Alexa, could you please tell us all what you told me?  Why did you hit Elaine?"

Alexa looked down at her hands.  "She and Joanne have been bothering me for weeks.  I'd just had enough."

"How were they bothering you?" Sherlock asked.

She glanced at him quickly, then away again.  "They'd been saying nasty things about you and Papa.  Calling you ... names.  Slurs."

Sherlock clenched his teeth and breathed deeply as Joanna spoke.  "It wasn't anything awful.  She went mental on us!"

"It _was_ awful!" Marie interjected.  "Every word you've said to Alexa since she got here has been some horrible jibe about her having two dads.  I can't say I'm surprised she snapped."

"What was it that they said?" Miss Linsley asked softly.

Alexa shook her head.  "I ... I can't repeat it."

Sherlock set his hand on hers, where it lay on her knee.  "It's all right, you can say."

She licked her lips.  "They ... they suggested that you were a pervert.  They called you and Papa 'a pair of fucking faggots', and they said I must be an idiot to want to live with ... _arse pirates_."

Sherlock failed to keep the smirk from his lips, but none of them were looking at him and he schooled his features before their embarrassment wore off.  "And that was when you hit Elaine?"

"Um ... not just yet."  She blushed.  "I actually made a joke about the pirate thing."  She glanced at Sherlock. "Sorry about that, Papa told me I shouldn't tell you I know."

"It's not a _thing_ ," he said.  "John makes a big deal of it for some reason."  He looked around at the room full of confused expressions and sighed.  "My brother told my husband that I wanted to be a pirate when I was little.  Apparently thirty years isn't enough to live it down."

"Can we continue, please?" said Elaine's mother.  "Get to the part where your daughter attacked my daughter?"

Sherlock glared at her as Alexa continued.  "Anyway.  So then Elaine said, if it's not about the buggering, it must be that I want them to teach me how to ... suck cock."

Again, Sherlock stopped himself from laughing.  "And that's when you hit her?"

"Yeah."

"Hurt your hand?"

"A bit."

"Marie, is all this true?" her mother asked.

"She left out the more colourful bits, but yeah," Marie agreed.  "Frankly I'm surprised she didn't do it sooner.  They've been asking for it for weeks."

"I was never _asking for it_!" Elaine snapped.

Miss Linsley raised her hands.  "Girls, enough.  So what we have here is that Joanna and Elaine have been bullying Alexa since the beginning of the term, and Alexa took matters into her own hands -- quite literally -- rather than reporting it to a teacher."

"Is that your influence, Mr Holmes?" Elaine's mother sneered.

Sherlock narrowed his eyes at her.  "I am a detective, not a vigilante, and I'll thank you not to question my parenting, not with--ow!"  He rubbed his side where Alexa had elbowed him rather hard.  "What?"

"Please, Dad, save it.  I want to get out of here in one piece and you airing their dirty laundry won't help."

"It was nothing that bad."

"Anything is that bad.  Just please, don't."

"As I was saying," Miss Linsley continued, "we've got a couple of different things going on here.  Alexa's actions were not technically self-defence, so we will have to pursue disciplinary action against her.  However, it's clear that Joanna and Elaine were deliberately provoking her, and we take bullying very seriously."  She passed out papers to the parents.  "With that in mind, we have suspended Alexa for the rest of the week, and the incident will go in her record."

Sherlock opened his mouth to speak, but Alexa stopped him with a hand on his arm and a shake of her head.

"As for Joanna and Elaine, as I said, we will take this incident very seriously.  You are both also suspended for the rest of the week, and you'll be having weekly appointments with your counsellors through the end of the term.  If there are further incidents of bullying, we will escalate the consequences.  Here at St Mary Magdalene we place high value on good citizenship, and we expect all of our students to display it."  She closed the folder on her desk.  "Marie, your attempt to intervene and stop the fight has been noted, and although it's unfortunate you didn't report the bullying, you are commended for your efforts.  There won't be any actions taken against you, though the event has been noted in your record as well.

"Would any of you like to add anything before we adjourn?"

Sherlock bit his tongue as everyone shook their heads, and Miss Linsley sighed.  "All right then.  Mr Holmes and Mrs Jackson, please take your daughters home.  Marie, you can return to class or take the rest of the afternoon off.  Joanna, you'll be staying here until one of your parents comes to get you."  She stood up.  "Thank you all for coming."

* * *

Sherlock and Alexa rode home in silence, and when they arrived Sherlock put the kettle on.  "Tea?"

"Thanks."  She flopped on the couch and wrapped herself in a blanket.

"How's your face?" Sherlock asked.  "I'm afraid we won't be able to hide that from your Papa.  Not to mention the fact that you'll be home the next two days instead of going to school."

"The face is all right," she sighed.  "Hurts a bit, but it's not bad."

"You gave better than you got," Sherlock said, sitting beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders.  "Two against one, and they'll both have black eyes."

She leaned into him.  "I don't suppose we could make up something to tell Papa?"

"Why don't you want him to know?  Is it that you think he'll take it personally?"

"He's insecure about his sexuality, and of course he'll take it personally.  He'll think it's his fault."

"He'll be wrong."

"I know that, and you know that, but he'll still feel guilty for it and it's not his fault at all."

"Let me talk to him.  I think I can convince him not to take it too hard."

"No offence, Dad, but I don't think your usual methods will work very well."

"What?  I'm very persuasive."

"Yeah, but your usual way of convincing Papa to see your side of things involves taking him to bed.  I don't see that going over very well."

"Oh."

The kettle boiled and clicked off, but they didn't move.  Alexa turned her head to look towards the kitchen.  "If we sit here and look pathetic long enough, will he appear and make us tea?"

Sherlock checked his watch.  "He should have just finished.  Think you can wait half an hour?"

She giggled a little and wrapped her arms around his waist.  "I think I can manage with my hero by my side."

He kissed the top of her head.  "I'm not a hero."

"Mm.  Yes you are.  I'm a damsel in distress and you're my knight in shining armour."

"You fought your own battle today.  Over my honour, in fact.  I think you've got it backwards."

"I'm a progressive princess."

He chuckled and held her close.  "Yes you are."

* * *

By the time John got home -- exactly when Sherlock had predicted -- Alexa had dozed off on Sherlock's shoulder, though she woke up when John came in.  "Oh, hello.  What are you doing home so early?"

"Oh.  Um."  She looked at Sherlock.

He shrugged.  "Just tell him.  It's faster."

She sighed.  "I may have been in a fight at school."

That was when John noticed the bruising on her face, and rushed to the couch.  "Oh god.  Are you all right?"

"Fine.  It's nothing."

"You should see the other girls," Sherlock murmured.

"Wait, what?!"  He sat back.  "I want to know exactly what happened."

"Alexa has been the victim of bullying," Sherlock explained, "for several weeks now.  Today they pushed the wrong button and she hit one of them, which led to all three girls fighting before Marie and two teachers broke it up."

"We all got suspended for the rest of the week," Alexa said.  "Except Marie.  They said it wasn't technically self-defence, though the other girls are in bigger trouble than I am."

"What were they saying?" John asked.  "What was so bad that you had to resort to violence?"

Sherlock and Alexa shared an uneasy look.  "It was about us," Sherlock said.  "They made some very nasty homophobic remarks."

John paled.  "You were bullied because of us?  Because we're in a same-sex relationship."

She bit her lip and nodded.  "They said horrid things about you."

"God, Alexa, I'm so sorry."

She put her hand on his knee.  "No, Papa, don't be.  They're the bigots, and I threw the first punch.  You didn't do anything except love my dad."

John blinked back his tears and pulled her into a big hug, which Sherlock joined.  "We love you, very much," John said.  "I just wish you had told us sooner that this was happening."

"I didn't want to upset you."

John laughed awkwardly.  "Bit too late for that.  But you'll tell us if it happens again?"

"Promise."

"Good girl."  He kissed her forehead and got up.  "I need a cup of tea.  How about you two?"


End file.
